I Have a Border in My Mind: The Puerto Ricans’ Arts and Culture as Factors for Self-Esteem, by Abie L. Quiñones-Benitez

Guide Entry to 01.04.08:

My unit is intended to address the gap in quality multicultural curricula with emphasis on Puerto Rico. It is intended to be part of the English, social studies, and/or guidance curriculum. In addition to impart knowledge on literature, history, art, and culture, this curriculum helps students to develop a sense of identity regardless of their ethnic background. As a guidance counselor I will implement this curriculum as part of my guidance interventions in the classroom in order to impact my students’ self-esteem. Once a week for approximately a 40-minutes period I will meet with my students at their assigned classrooms. A final project will include a written collection of essays, short stories, and poems produced by the students. The project will include a heritage box, a visual representation of the students’ cultural experience. In collaboration with the administration, the art department, and the students an exhibit of the final works will be open to the rest of the school. This exhibit should be housed at the school library. A ceremony of presentation of the work will take place to open the exhibit.

(Recommended for English, Social Studies, Art, and Reading, grades 7-8.)